The authors have developed Bend Contour Electron Tomography (BCET), a computational framework that turns conventional electron microscope images into quantitative maps of morphology and strain tensors in ultrathin materials, which are essential for understanding and designing their mechanical, magnetic, and optical properties. Rather than scanning a sample point-by-point, BCET analyzes full-field images by decoding bend contours created as electrons scatter through a deformed crystal. Combining images acquired at different viewing angles then allows the reconstruction of both the membrane shape and its local strain. BCET offers an accessible route to efficiently mapping nanoscale deformation and, ultimately, tracking how ultrathin materials respond dynamically to light, heat, and applied forces.

This study investigates the atomic-scale structure and stability of Guinier-Preston I (GP-I) zones in Al-Zn-Mg alloys. Large-scale simulations combine molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo techniques using a newly developed atomic cluster expansion (ACE) interatomic potential. Annealing of supersaturated solid solutions leads to the formation of nearly spherical GP-I zones composed of ordered Mg-Zn building blocks, with Zn atoms frequently shifting toward interstitial positions. The resulting precipitates exhibit distinct core-shell chemistry: a Zn-rich core surrounded by an Mg-enriched interfacial region, yielding an overall Zn/Mg ratio of approximately 1.5. Simulated HAADF-STEM images reproduce key features observed experimentally. At elevated temperatures, GP-I zones preferentially dissolve rather than transform directly into more stable precipitates, while vacancies and divacancies can stabilize small solute clusters even at high temperatures.

Ultrashort laser pulses offer a route to controlling quantum coherence in atomically thin semiconductors. Using first-principles simulations, the authors investigate coherent excitonic oscillations in monolayer tungsten disulfide. They reveal how coupling between excitonic states shapes these oscillations and how an additional resonance modifies their dynamics. Building on this microscopic understanding, they propose a sequence of laser pulses that generates and regenerates coherent oscillations on demand. The results connect the microscopic physics of interacting excitons with an optical control scheme, suggesting opportunities for ultrafast optical switching and future devices that use quantum coherence to manipulate and process information in solid-state materials.